Brian Hoyer
Early years Hoyer attended Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, the same high school that Brian Dowling, another Patriots quarterback, attended. In addition to playing football, Hoyer was a baseball pitcher, infielder and outfielder. In 2002, he compiled an 8-1 record with a 1.99 ERA as a sophomore. He was the winning pitcher in the 2002 Ohio Division I state championship game allowing 2 earned runs in 6 innings pitched. Hoyer was also a member of the junior varsity swim team competing in both the butterfly and backstroke. Hoyer compiled a 16-7 record (.696) as a two-year starter for Coach Chuck Kyle. In 2002, he completed 131 of 263 passes (.498) for 2,130 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In 2003, he completed 258-of-412 passes for 5,570 yards, 45 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while leading his team to a 11-1 record. He was named USA Today Prep Player of the Week for his performance against Shaker Heights High School. Hoyer was an Associated Press Division I all-state selection as a senior. Hoyer participated in the 2004 Ohio All-Star Classic and the July 24 Ohio-Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star Game. edit] College career [[]]EnlargeBrian Hoyer (#7) during his tenure at Michigan State.Hoyer was redshirted by Michigan State University in 2004, where he earned Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week honors twice. In 2005, he saw action in 5 games, where he completed 15 of 23 passes (.652) for 167 yards and two touchdowns. In a game against Illinois, he combined with Drew Stanton to throw seven touchdown passes, which tied the Big Ten single-game record. In 2006, he played in eight games and completed 82 of 144 passes for 863 yards, had four touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2007, Hoyer was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. He completed 223 of 376 throws (.593) for 2,725 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He had six 200-yard passing games. He was listed among 26 preseason candidates for the 2008 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top senior quarterback. edit] Professional career edit] New England Patriots edit] 2009 season Despite being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Hoyer was not selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed immediately after the draft with the New England Patriots. Hoyer debuted in the Patriots' preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 11 of 19 passes for 112 yards. In the preseason finale against the New York Giants, Hoyer played at quarterback the entire game, leading the team on a comeback after trailing 21–0 in the first quarter to a 38–27 win, completing 18 of 25 passes for 242 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Hoyer finished the preseason 29-44 for 354 yards, including 1 touchdown, with a 98.1 passer rating, which ranked 30th among quarterbacks. Of the four quarterbacks behind Tom Brady during training camp, the Patriots released Matt Gutierrez, Kevin O'Connell, and Andrew Walter, leaving Hoyer as Brady's only backup when the Patriots made their final cutdowns on September 5. He made his professional debut on October 18, in the second half of game against the Tennessee Titans. On his first drive, he was 5/5 for 35 yards, concluding it with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, which set a franchise record for points scored in the Patriots' 59-0 win. edit] 2010 season Hoyer entered the 2010 preseason as Brady's only backup. During the preseason, Hoyer completed 32 of 57 passes for 471 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception and four sacks. He saw his first action of the regular season late in a 34–14 loss to the Cleveland Browns, throwing his first career interception. In Week 17, against the Miami Dolphins, he threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Tate, the first touchdown of Hoyer's NFL career. edit] 2011 season Although the Patriots drafted quarterback Ryan Mallett in the draft over the summer, Hoyer retained his role as Brady's primary backup. In the preseason, Hoyer threw for 296 yards on 25 of 42 passes with one touchdown and no interceptions.